LONDON (AP) — The U.K. will recognize a Palestinian state in September unless Israel agrees to a ceasefire in Gaza, allows the U.N. to bring in aid and takes other steps toward long-term peace, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Tuesday.

France will air-drop aid into Gaza in coming days, a diplomatic source quoted by French news agency AFP said on Tuesday. The move comes as UN-backed experts warned the Israeli-blockaded Palestinian territory is slipping into famine.

The French president’s recognition of a Palestinian state tips the world diplomatic balance away from the U.S. and Israel.

The Palestinians seek statehood in the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem — territories captured by Israel in the 1967 Mideast war.

Amid growing fears of a looming famine in the war-torn Gaza Strip, France announced on Tuesday that it will begin air-dropping 40 tonnes of humanitarian aid starting Friday, in collaboration with Jordanian authorities.

The United Kingdom, France, Germany and Italy will hold an emergency call on Friday to talk about the deteriorating conditions in Gaza as more than 100 aid groups warn mass starvation is fast approaching, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Thursday.

The call comes after the three leaders spoke again by phone on Saturday morning, following Friday's conversation. According to the British PM Keir Starmer, the E3 leaders talked about the situation in Gaza,

As the war in Gaza is about to enter its second year, FRANCE 24 welcomes Fady Hossam, a Gaza journalist and former FRANCE 24 producer recently evacuated with help from FRANCE 24 and the French government.

The Palestinian death toll in Gaza passed 60,000 on Tuesday. The world's leading authority on food crises said the “ worst-case scenario of famine is currently playing out” in the territory of over 2 million people as starvation deaths rise.